Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit USA

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

Very easy to use with compatible Nikon flash units. Range and line of sight is somewhat limited (though better than I expected after reading some reviews), but most of what I shoot is wide-angle, so I can get close to the particular subject, so range rarely is a problem for how I shoot. Also, most of what I do is small-medium landscapes, where just a punch of fill is needed against an overpowering backlighting. If you want to shoot something from 100ft away in bright sunlight with lots of barriers to line of sight, this may not be what you need. For me and (I imagine) for studio settings, the SU-800 works great. Rarely misfires, and usually due to slow recycle on the flash unit I use (usually SB600s), not because of the SU-800 commander. Though I am fairly new to off-camera flash, so far, I am quite pleased with it.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

I had a chance to use this SU-800 Speedlight Commander Unit extensively this past weekend and it is a great unit. It is easy to use and understand. Setup and adjustment of each flash group's exposure is simple to do. The unit has an auto focus assist working distance of up to 33 feet, far better that using the built in camera's focus assist. I can't say more than it does what it was intended to do and does it very well. FYI: The SU-800 uses a Lithium 123 battery not included.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

I bought this unit to supplement my existing array of cameras and lights. I mostly shoot a D300 which has most of the capabilities of the SU-800 if you do not mind the massive menu system on the 300. However I can rig and shoot with the SU-800 very quickly not only on my D300, but my D100 as well. I shoot a SB-800 speed light and use the SBR-200's for close up and fill light.
The SU-800 is a welcome addition that is efficient and works as advertised. If you do a lot of CLS work, I would highly recommend it.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

Bought this to use with my sb800's using RadioPoppers to trigger. Works great.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

CLS is great, but unless your body has a fully Commander-capable pop-up flash, using a shoe-mounted unit as Commander is costly and not usually optimum from a lighting standpoint. The SU-800 solves that problem elegantly. It is easier to set up than an SB-800 and doesn't contribute light to the subject. True, it doesn't have great range outdoors, but in situations where flash is really necessary it generally works fine. Indoors its great, and comes pretty close to published capabilities if you set up carefully.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

So far I've used this with an SB-600 and SB-800 together with my D300s and D300, also with my recently acquired Coolpix P7100 and I can see it's going to become an indispensable part of my equipment, I can envisage so many uses for it, macro, wedding, portraits etc., etc.,
It's kinda pricy, but in my opinion well worth the money.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

I just wish it was made with AA batteries... 4 stars for that...

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

I use the su 800 for Indoor photo's so that I am able to use more than one flash
I don't have any problems

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

When shooting for publications, I am continuously looking for quick and reliable solutions for triggering off-camera speedlights. I typically use the SU-800 in conjunction with PocketWizard Flex TT5 radio transceivers for the most reliable TTL solution. However, the infra red method works well and is surprisingly effective in a pinch or in controlled conditions when factors such as bright sunlight or line of sight are not an issue. Umbrellas and large light modifiers can often block the sensor on the flash. Make sure you have an extra battery in the bag because it does not use the typical AA or AAA and you might not be able to find the correct type locally. Having a screen to display the exposure settings for each of the 3 possible groups is a nice touch for those such as myself who prefer a visual representation and have a short memory for such things. Overall, it's a great product for anyone looking at a TTL solution and works wonderfully with compatible radio triggers.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

I just started using this product and plan to use this product along with my radiopopper px system for wedding shoots. Working the su 800 commander with the radiopopper and sb900 speedlight works very well together on the practice phase. The only things that I don't like about the product (as insignificant as it is) is the fact that I am having a hard time finding rechargeable batteries fully compatible with the unit and the line of sight issues between the su800 commander and the speedlight when not working with the radiopopper which would all be taken care of when using pocketwizards (which by the way I heard complaints about when you get to a certain distance), all in all, the su800 is great to a very long distance when using it along with the radiopopper over a great and unrealistic distance

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

I purchased this commander unit to avoid using the pop-up flash for controlling speedlights. The pre-flash causes some people to blink. The SU-800 uses infrared light to connect with speedlights so there isn't the preflash problem.

For indoor use, the ability to bounce or angle the signal off walls is very impressive. Like a billiards shot off three walls, I was pleased to be able to fire my lights even away from direct line-of-sight from camera position. I haven't used it outside in bright light, so I can't speak to outdoor or longer distance firing.

Overall, easy to use, lightweight on the camera. I wished Nikon built it with a swiveling head, but I haven't missed a shot due to not being able to rotate the commander. You can also connect via a SC-29 cable to point it wherever you want.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

Works like a champ! Extends the usefulness of the R1C1 kit and gives full remote control of the SB600, SB800 and SB900. Simple operation. Wish I had bought it years ago.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

If you've learned how to use Nikon's Creative Lighting System with multiple wireless speedlights, you're probably impressed with what it can do...and frustrated at having to dig through multiple menus on the back of the camera. The SU-800 eliminates that hassle.

Now you can move your speedlight off the camera to provide a better angle to your subject, and if you have multiple speedlights you can easily control them from one device. This is much faster than using the controls on the camera or a master speedlight like an SB-900.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

I use the product to control one or more off camera flash units in portrait photography. Works great as it allow balancing lighting on the fly. Easy to use. Set up is virtually automatic with my SB900's. It is a serious time saver.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

this is a great product I am planning to buy next week. Works great with my sb-900

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

I use with a D90, and a couple of sb700s. I like using the su800 more than the built-in flash commander (a little more reach and flexibility when using the nikon TTL extension cable). I would have liked to have purchased a radio type system but the cost was too much. So far I haven't had any problems except when trying to use a flash hidden to backlight the subject.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

Indoors it works very well, but outdoors in bright sun, even at close range with sensors aimed generally at each other, I experience a lot of non-fires.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

The SU-800 is easy to use and does the job well inside cover (buildings, studios, caves,etc) Trying to use it outside (not sure about night) is another matter. You're much better off using an SB-800/900 as a commander and you'll have far better control. This controller has its place for closeups and where the SB commander flash may influence the exposure. I would recommend with the above caveat.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

Use it with SB-800 and SB900.
Very versatile.

Comments about Nikon SU-800 Wireless Speedlight Commander Unit:

I finally upgraded to this after 3 years of using pop-up flashes and SB800s & 900s as commanders. I wanted greater reliability in daylight conditions and extended range. This does the trick for a better price point than getting into pocket wizards, radio poppers or skyports. The only reason I gave it four instead of five stars is that there are still situations where line of sight prevents your remotes from firing reliably, but it is so much better than what I was doing before that it doesn't bother me. Also, much of that can be fixed with the SC-29 or a slight change in setup. I use this with 2-3 speedlights and it is great having the dedicated control panel instead of having to use the camera menu system. Love it!